The Popular Science Monthly, September, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900Various
Science
The Popular Science Monthly, September, 1900: Vol. 57, May, 1900 to October, 1900
Various
Science -- Periodicals; Technology -- Periodicals
The second type is that of the somewhat yellow stars, like Capella,
Pollux, Arcturus, Procyon, etc. The most striking feature of the
spectrum of these stars is its resemblance to that of our sun. Like
the latter, it is crossed by very fine and close black rays. It would
seem that the more the star inclines toward red, the broader these
rays become and the easier it is to distinguish them. We give a figure
showing the remarkable agreement between the spectrum of Capella, which
may be taken as an example of the type, and that of the sun.
The spectra of the third type, belonging mostly to the red stars, are
composed of a double system of nebulous bands and dark lines. The
latter are fundamentally the same as in the second type, the broad
nebulous bands being an addition to the spectrum. α Herculis
may be taken as an example of this type.
[Illustration: FIG. 7. SPECTRUM WITH BOTH BRIGHT AND DARK LINES.]
It is to be remarked that, in these progressive types, the brilliancy
of the more refrangible end of the spectrum continually diminishes
relatively to that of the red end. To this is due the gradations of
color in the stars.
To these three types Secchi subsequently added a fourth, given by
comparatively few stars of a deep red color. The spectra of this class
consist principally of three bright bands, which are separated by dark
intervals. The brightest is in the green; a very faint one is in the
blue; the third is in the yellow and red, and is divided up into a
number of others.
To these types a fifth was subsequently added by Wolf and Rayet, of
the Paris Observatory. The spectra of this class show a singular
mixture of bright lines and dark bands, as if three different spectra
were combined, one continuous, one an absorption spectrum, and one an
emission spectrum from glowing gas. Less than a hundred stars of this
type have been discovered. A very remarkable peculiarity, which we
shall discuss hereafter, is that they are nearly all situated very near
the central line of the Milky Way.
[Illustration: FIG. 4. SPECTRA OF α CYGNI AND α TAURI.]
[Illustration: FIG. 5. SPECTRUM OF α ORIONIS.]
[Illustration: FIG. 6. SPECTRUM OF γ CASSIOPEIÆ]
Vogel proposed a modification of Secchi’s classification, by
subdividing each of his three types into two or three others, and
including the Wolf-Rayet stars under the second type. His definitions
are as follows:
Type I is distinguished by the intensity of the light in the more
refrangible end of the spectrum, the blue and violet. The type may be
divided into three subdivisions, designated _a_, _b_ and _c_:
In I_a_ the metallic lines are very faint, while the hydrogen lines are
distinguished by their breadth and strength.
In I_b_ the hydrogen lines are wanting.
In I_c_ the lines of hydrogen and helium both show as bright lines.
Stars showing this spectrum are now known as helium stars.
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